Liberty Party Supporters Protest Election Results in Grand Bassa County

Buchanan, Grand Bassa County – Scores of supporters of the opposition Liberty Party have taken to the streets in Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County in protest against the election results.

Report by Lennart Dodoo, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Elton Tiah, FPA Contributor

Grand Bassa County is known to be the stronghold of Liberty Party and though its Standard Bearer, Cllr. Charles Brumskine, is leading the presidential race in the county, his supporters believe he earned more votes than has been announced by the National Elections Commission.

Cllr. Brumskine managed 49,889 votes (50.2%) in the county.

He is followed by Montserrado County Senator, George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) with 26,979 votes (28.1%) and Vice President Joseph Boakai trailing with 9,185 (9.2%).

The Liberty Party Youth Wing Chairman of Grand Bassa County told FrontPageAfrica in Buchanan that they feel cheated in the October 10 Elections.

He reiterated irregularities outlined by the standard bearer.

“If we Liberians want to keep enjoying peace in Liberia then let the National Elections Commission see reason to call for reelection,” Goffa threatened.

According to him, the aggrieved supporters of the Liberty Party will continue to protest at the National Elections office in county until their concerns are addressed.

The protestors were demonstrating in front of the National Elections Commission’s office in Buchanan, calling for re-election.

In a press conference last Friday, Cllr. Brumskine termed the October 10 elections as falling short of the minimum standard required for free, fair and transparent election.

“The October 10 elections did not pass the minimum standards required for free, fair and transparent elections.

These elections were characterized by gross irregularities and fraud which undermined the integrity of the elections and deprived thousands of Liberians their constitutional rights to vote.

Based on our assessment of the evidence available, the results of these elections are not valid,” he told journalists on Friday.

According to Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, the Liberty Party is conducting an in-depth investigation and will present to the National Elections Commission and evidence-back report to the National Elections Commission (NEC) for further action.

Cllr. Brumskine named the alleged stuffing of ballot box by a NEC presiding officer in Nimba, alleged breaking of a ballot box seal in Bassa County, late opening of polls at some centers, and the omission of names from voters roll as some of the irregularities that flawed the elections.

“The Liberian people deserve to know what was done and who it. And they deserve a valid, transparent election."

"So many Liberians were deprived of their constitutional right to vote; we will, therefore, be requesting a re-run of the election."

"The burden of history will be appropriate laid where it should,” he asserted.

He, however, called on his supporters not to take the law into their own hands as he was preparing to exert every legal effort to seek redress to the concerns of the party.